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If you aren't lucky enough to have naturally hydrated lips, winter can leave your lips feeling cracked and flaky. You might find yourself constantly reaching for your favorite lip balm throughout the day to avoid licking your lips—because who wants to deal with that uncomfortable feeling?
However, if you're overusing that balm, you might be causing more damage than you think. Surprisingly, certain lip balms can actually dry out your lips even more, contributing to the chapped condition you're trying to prevent. Curious about why this happens? Keep reading to discover how some lip balms can worsen dryness and tips from experts on how to keep your lips hydrated.
Getty ImagesWhy Do Lips Become So Dry in the First Place?
The skin on your lips is much thinner than the skin elsewhere on your body, and that's one of the primary reasons they get dry and chapped. The rest of your skin is equipped with hair follicles, oil glands, and a protective layer of dead skin called the stratum corneum, which helps keep it moisturized.
However, your lips lack both follicles and oil glands, and they shed skin at a faster rate than the rest of your body. So when your lips are exposed to environmental factors like air, UV rays, fluctuating temperatures, and pollutants, they react much more intensely than the rest of your skin.
In addition to that exposure, the drier your lips are, the more you're likely to lick them, which only worsens the situation. Your saliva contains digestive enzymes that can irritate and dry out your lips. Add to this the fact that some people habitually chew on their lips when feeling nervous or stressed, and it's a recipe for chapped lips.
Why Some Lip Balms Can Cause Dry Lips
Not every lip balm will make your chapped lips worse (even if you apply it often), but some chapstick can absolutely exacerbate the problem. Here are some characteristics of a drying lip product that you'll want to avoid.
Lack of Occlusives
Despite the hydrating promise of lip balms, what you see isn't always what you get. "Certain lip balms only contain humectants (read: immediate moisture)—like hyaluronic acid and glycerin—which draw water from the air," says dermatologist Marnie Nussbaum, MD.
"However, if there is no occlusive—like petrolatum, beeswax, shea butter, coconut oil, or squalene—the moisture will not be sealed in to protect the moisture barrier. As soon as the moisture evaporates, the lips will feel drier and appear dehydrated."
In short, humectant ingredients need to be offset by occlusive ingredients to avoid the cycle of reapplication. Occlusives are necessary for creating a physical barrier to prevent water loss. According to Nussbaum, this is the same reason licking your lips worsens chapped lips—the saliva quickly evaporates, leaving the lips even drier and starting the lip-licking cycle over again.
Presence of Allergens
If your lip balm contains both humectants and occlusives, yet you're still facing constant dryness, it might be time to take a closer look at the ingredient list. According to Nussbaum, "Some lip balms contain allergens—such as lanolin, parabens, phenol, or salicylic acid—that can irritate the skin of certain individuals." This means finding the right lip balm for your lips could involve some trial and error.
Medicated balms can also lead to dependency, as some of the active ingredients may make your lips more sensitive, causing them to crack more easily. To avoid this, Nussbaum advises people with sensitive skin to steer clear of parabens, phenol, phthalates, fragrances, and lanolin altogether.
A helpful strategy is to switch lip balms if you find yourself constantly reapplying the one you're using, or if you feel a tingling sensation after applying it. Also, be cautious of over-exfoliating your lips, as it can remove layers of skin and make your lips more vulnerable to external factors.
How to Use Lip Balm Effectively
This doesn't mean you should completely avoid lip balms—or that you should stay away from humectants in your lip balms. And don't be concerned—the myth that applying lip balm stops your body from producing natural moisture is just that, a myth.
"To maintain healthy lip skin, keep your lips well-hydrated with a lip balm that helps soothe and protect the lip barrier with both a humectant and an occlusive, such as eos The Hero Extra Dry Lip Repair," advises Nussbaum. Anti-aging lip serums can also nourish and hydrate your lips, making them appear fuller and more youthful. "Since lips lack melanocytes and are highly sensitive to the sun, it's important to apply at least SPF 30 daily, no matter the season."
Consider this: Using a poor lip balm is like drinking soda to quench your thirst. It may feel good temporarily, but it won't help heal chapped lips. If your dryness isn't improving after switching lip balms and persists for more than a week, it might be time to consult a dermatologist. A dermatologist can assess if there are underlying medical conditions or allergies contributing to your dry lips and help you choose the best lip balm for your skin type.
Tips for Keeping Your Lips Healthy and Hydrated
In addition to using the right lip balm with hydrating ingredients that won't dehydrate your lips, there are other steps you can take to keep your lips in top condition. Follow these tips to maintain a soft, plump, and healthy pout.
- Stay hydrated. Drinking plenty of water is essential for maintaining healthy lips and offers various other health benefits for your entire body. Aim for eight 8-ounce glasses of water every day.
- Maintain a balanced diet. The food you consume significantly affects your appearance and well-being. It's important to be mindful of your nutrition, but also take note of foods that may irritate the lips, such as spicy or salty items. Avoid them if your lips are chapped or inflamed.
- Consider using a humidifier. Using a humidifier while you sleep can help keep your skin hydrated and also reduce the risk of respiratory infections.
- Don't pick at dry skin. While it may be tempting to peel off flaky skin, resist the urge. Picking can damage the fresh, sensitive skin underneath and slow down the healing process. Allow the skin to shed naturally, similar to how you would let a sunburn heal.
- Avoid lip scrubs. Although lip scrubs have become popular, they're best avoided, particularly if you're dealing with dry, peeling lips. They can actually irritate the skin and strip it of moisture, potentially causing more damage to the delicate skin on your lips.
